#16: Archen & Archeops

Oh yeah, I talked about Archeops two articles ago, in my article about Aerodactyl. If you want a powerhouse you are better off with Archeops, but if you want a more stable Pokémon you should consider Aerodactyl as your fossil rock/flying-type Pokémon. I'll get back to you on that. Now, if you look at the title you see that this is all about Archen and Archeops. The reason why these two Pokémon end up higher in my list of favorite Pokémon than Aerodactyl is that Archen and Archeops just look more awesome. Some colorful, fluffy dinosaur bird Pokémon? I mean, just stop messing with me! Based on the archeopteryx, Archen and Archeops may be capable of flying, but they are more comfortable when standing on solid ground. They are among the best generation V Pokémon, in my opinion, and I definitely always choose Flume Fossil (which recovers Archen) over Cover Fossil (which recovers Tirtouga, some prehistoric tortoise). Archeops is undoubtedly stronger than Carracosta, Tirtouga's evolution, and it is remarkably zippier. Much zippier. In fact, Archeops is among the fastest Pokémon in the fifth generation, while Carracosta is among the slowest. The combination of high speed and even higher attack makes Archeops a powerhouse. As an Archen it lears Acrobatics, which does 165 damage (due to STAB; Same Type Attack Bonus) when it is not holding an item. definitely keep that move around, because you're going to need it very often! Its defenses are bad, but that is not really a problem if you outspeed almost every Pokémon out there. No, its ability is the only letdown. It has Defeatist, meaning Archeops' attack and speed will be cut in half when its HP reaches 50% or less. That stinks! Archeops is speedy and strong, but that doesn't mean it's going to KO everything right away or that it's not going to take hits. Definitely watch out around that ability; use a potion when it's HP gets below 50% or switch it out. Otherwise, you should definitely be fine with Archeops, especially since it learns many moves of quite some different types!

#17: Gallade

Gallade is a curious Pokémon. He evolves from a male Kirlia when using a Dawn Stone on that particular Kirlia, but suddenly becomes a physical-based Pokémon. Ralts and Kirlia are mainly special-based, as is Kirlia's second final evolution Gardevoir. Gallade isn't and focuses mainly on physical-based attacks. And this Pokémon is a good one at that, too! He has a damn high attack stat and special defense stat, plus some nice speed to strike first quite often. His defense is bad and his special attack is as high as Kirlia's, so definitely avoid it. Thankfully, Gallade learns some quite interesting physical-based moves. When you take him to the Move Relearner, he can get the useful moves Night Slash and Leaf Blade, and he also has access to strong moves like Close Combat, Psycho Cut, Zen Headbutt, Earthquake, Return (at a full friendship level), X-Scissor, Rock Slide, Stone Edge and Poison Jab. Enough choice to give your Gallade an excellent movepool. Not to mention Gallade just looks extremely cool for a psychic-type Pokémon. Of course, upon evolving he gains the extra fighting-type, but most psychic-type Pokémon don't look like they have so much militancy. With his blade-like arms resembling tonfas, weapons used to practice Okinawan martial arts like karate and tegumi, he looks ready to agilely slash around and tear the enemy apart. Gallade strongly resembles Gardevoir design-wise: the shape of his head and the pointy ends on his chest and back are also to be found in Gardevoirs design, so you can say Gallade is an excellent physical-based alternative to the special-based Gardevoir!

#18: Aerodactyl

Remember that I talked about my thing for dinosaurs when I was still a kid? That brief obsession was the reason that Rampardos and Tyranitar are nowadays still two of my favorite Pokémon. Aerodactyl is based on a pterodactyl, so basically this Pokémon is also a dinosaur. This prehistoric bird is a tough one at that, too; it looks like a livid and dangerous Pokémon that can tear you apart with its sharp teeth in a couple of seconds. And it probably can, for that matter. Aerodactyl is the first dinosaur Pokémon, revived from an Old Amber, and maybe that's way it ends up higher in my list of favorite Pokémon than the previously mentioned ones, although other prehistoric dinosaur-like animals are still to be found above Aerodactyl: Archen and Archeops. But this article is all about Aerodactyl, so let's see how it turns out to do in video game battles. Absolutely great, I can tell you that. It is extremely fast, plus it is very strong on the physical-based spectrum, too. Its diverse movepool really helps to sweep the floor with the other team: it is capable of learning the elemental fangs (although they're not really worth it), but also moves like Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Rock Slide, Crunch, Iron Head, Stone Edge and Fly. Archeops, the other fast rock/flying-type fossil Pokémon, is generally much stronger and can even pull off special-based moves, which Aerodactyl cannot. Both Pokémon are quite frail, but some players prefer Aerodactyl over Archeops due to Archeop's terrible ability, Defeatist. I'd say either Pokémon is fine, as both Pokémon are in my list, Archeops a little higher than Aerodactyl.

#19: Absol

Ah yes, that unfortunate Absol... The predictor of mischief is actually mistaken as a doom-bringer. Absol have a strong sense of predicting coming natural disasters, but in the anime episode 'Absol-ute Disaster' Absol gets blamed for all the bad things happening in the town Ash and his friends happen to come across. In fact, Absol sensed subtle changes in the sky and land and that way it predicted natural disasters coming. Let's face it; that's not entirely illogical giving the fact it's a dark-type Pokémon and looks like some devilish creature. The sickle on its head is even sharp enough to slice through rocks and metal. I feel a little sorry for the poor thing, getting blamed for something he didn't even cause. Another reason why I like Absol so much is its design: it's one of the best designs of generation III. And for the upcoming sixth generation Gamefreak has actually managed to make Absol even better. You probably saw it coming, but Absol is getting a Mega Evolution!!! Now it looks more like the angel of death, with its wing-like fur and its face half hidden. Awesome! If only the sickle would have stayed a sickle... Anyway, the new Mega Absol is probably getting stronger than the regular Absol already was. And believe me, Absol is strong! It has a damn high attack stat and decent speed to strike first quite often (although not always). Leave Absol's special attack alone, compared to its attack stat it's quite mediocre. Its defenses are bad, but not so bad it's not capable of taking a hit. However, you should focus on its attack stat and movepool. It's not really that diverse, but it's capable of learning Rock Slide and X-Scissor. Other good moves would be Psycho Cut and Night Slash; those moves will be even stronger when Absol has the ability Super Luck. That ability raises the chance of getting a critical hit, while Night Slash and Psycho Cut already have a higher chance of getting a critical hit. Give Absol either a Scope Lens or a Razor Claw as hold item to boost that chance of a critical hit even more and you've got yourself a critical hit machine. Absol doesn't only look like a beast, it is one when used properly. I love it!

#20: Shuckle

Ah, yes... That weird little Shuckle. You wouldn't say bugs are so cute, but I find Shuckle kind of adorable. Its design is so simple, yet so brilliant, too: Shuckle may be based on several real-life organisms. The first are endoliths, organisms that live in porous rocks or animal shells. That is kind of logical, too, if you look at its hard shell it lives in. Shuckle is also probably based on scale insects: small, shelled parasites that produce a sweet fluid called honeydew that attracts other insects. Not illogical either, because Shuckle collects berries and stores them in its shell, after which the berries are liquefied and fermented by Shuckle's digestive juices. It then consumes the berry juice. In the anime, the berry juice of a shiny Shuckle even attracts Pokémon to anyone who drank it (see image aside). The hard shell resembling an exoskeleton, its limp-seeming feet, the use of acids to receive food or break down obstacles (Shuckle sometimes dissolves rocks in order to hide under them), its preference for fermented foods and its habitat (Shuckle like to live in or close to the water) also suggests that this little bug/rock-like creature may be based on mollusks and, appearance-wise, even on turtles and/or tortoises. Yeah, it seems to be based on a hodgepodge of organisms and it's not even clear which ones apply to Shuckle. But it's still a cute little... thingy. And it definitely has is uses outside battles.

So what about its uses in battles? Well, lets face it: Shuckle is terrible in generation II and III. It has the highest defenses in the games, higher even than the most defensive tanks that are often used in battle, but its special attack and attack are downright awful. They are about the lowest of all Pokémon. That's one extreme to the other, I dare say. When the move Power Trick was introduced in generation IV, Shuckle actually became a little more useful. Power Trick switches the defense and attack stat, meaning Shuckle would have an awesome attack stat and a horrific defense stat. The chance it would get knocked out by a physical-based attack before it even has a chance to strike is too damn high, because its speed is even more terrible than its attacking stats. In generation V, Power Split and Guard Split were introduced. Power Split averages the attack and special attack stats of Shuckle with the opponent's, while Guard Split does the same with the defense and special defense stats. The latter is useless. Shuckle has the highest defenses in the game, so why would you have it have lower defenses? Makes no sense whatsoever. But a little more power, while keeping its high defenses and lowering the opponent's attack stats... Nothing wrong with that! And it even learns moves like Stone Edge, Rock Slide and Bug Bite to make use of that raised attack and special attack stats! You can even drop Stone Edge (too inaccurate) to teach it Earthquake for a little more diversity. That way, Shuckle has become a lot more useful in battles, but it's a little tricky to pull off this strategy if you're more like a no-bullshit-just-attack type of battler.

#21: Excadrill

Steel-type Pokémon are only useful if they're also really strong. Lucario (number 33) is a good example of that, but an even better example is the ground/steel-type Pokémon Excadrill! We didn't really have mole Pokémon before (do you think Diglett and Dugtrio look like moles?), but Drilbur and Excadrill immediately proved to be very good mole Pokémon. Drilbur evolves into Excadrill at level 31, but Drilbur can make it on his own perfectly before that. It has access to strong moves like Rock Slide and Dig, which it learns naturally, and upon evolving the attack stat goes through the roof! Excadrill has some nice speed to make use of that strong attack quickly, but its defenses are quite... bad. Thankfully, it has a wide movepool, with moves like Iron Head, Earthquake, Rock Slide, X-Scissor, Shadow Claw, Brick Break and Aerial Ace to make Excadrill as variable as possible. Plus, its typing comes with 8 resistances (of which rock does the least damage of all) and two resistances (electric because it's a ground-type and poison because of its steel-type). Excadrill is a great Pokémon to use in-game, and I always find myself using Excadrill again when starting a new game, along with Darmanitan. Besides, Excadrill's design is also very cool. Those sharp steel claws and 'cap' make it look like a dangerous Pokémon, a Pokémon to watch out for. And those are the kind of Pokémon I love!

#22: Serperior

If you don't count (Gary's) Eevee in Pokémon Yellow, Serperior is the last starter Pokémon to make an appearance in my list of favorite Pokémon. In fact, the only ones are Empoleon, Samurott, Pikachu and now Serperior. And there's a reason that Serperior is my absolute favorite: it's because of its design. It is fierce, elegant, kingly and hazardous all in one. I love how its grass skin ends in a collar with its head sticking out of it, and its design makes it look like it's the emperor of the snakes, or something. Besides, its venomous red eyes are as paralyzing as a thousand thunder shocks. Yeah, this guy looks like it has a whole lot of attitude, and I love that about Serperior. What does bother me a little, though, is that it's not really a good starter Pokémon to use in the video games. In fact, with the exception of Torterra, not any grass starter is that good a Pokémon to use in-game (or in contests, for that matter). It's not the worse, that honor is still Venusaur and Meganium's, but it's also not really a strong Pokémon. Besides, with Serperior's grass-type also comes too many weaknesses, with five weaknesses in total. Skilled trainers are actually capable of using Serperior throughout the game, though. It learns the move Coil at level 38, which raises its attack, defense and accuracy. Serperior has some quite good defenses and damn good speed, so it is capable of spamming a couple of Coils and then attack. Definitely keep Leaf Blade and Coil around, with Return and either Aerial Ace or Dragon Tail as backups. Unfortunately, that's it for attacking moves to benefit from its raising attack stat. Coil won't raise its special attack, so you really shouldn't teach it special-based moves; even though Giga Drains heals its HP (you can also use a potion) and SolarBeam and Leaf Storm are strong moves. A pumped-up Leaf Blade does way more damage and Leaf Storm lowers its special attack afterwards, making its already mediocre special attack even more terrible. But it's a cool Pokémon, of that you can be sure.

#23: Mew

Okay, let's just confess that I love Mew mostly because it's so incredibly cute! I mean, you just have to look at that adorable pink little cat-like Pokémon to know that it will be one of your favorite Pokémon forever. And it was totally acting cute in the very first Pokémon feature film, 'Mewtwo Strikes Back'. While Mewtwo was wreaking havoc, Mew just played around a little, not being serious about anything (see GIFs below). It looked a little dumb, as opposed to Mewtwo, but maybe that has something charming, too. Well, I liked it a lot, and I have come to love that cute little thing even more since that very first movie. You wouldn't say Mew is a legendary Pokémon, but it's definitely a stronger Pokémon than most of the Pokémon out there. Maybe not in power (every of its stats has a base number of 100, making it the most well-balanced Pokémon ever), but it can learn every freaking move in the game, level-up moves and TM moves as well as Move Tutor moves, so that makes for a lot of diversity! In fact, Mew can learn attacks of every type, and good moves in that! It has the attack and special attack stat to pull off any strong move possible, so Mew is a very good Pokémon to switch moves around with in its movepool. I don't even have a Mew, but that doesn't mean it can't be one of my favorite Pokémon; it's actually my fourth favorite legendary Pokémon. Just because it's so adorable!!!

#24: Ampharos

Most Pokémon gain something when they evolve, like whiskers, plants, wings, etc. etc. etc. You name it. Not the Mareep evolution line: Mareep gradually loses some of its wool. In fact, the final evolution Ampharos doesn't even have wool anymore. It really doesn't resemble a sheep anymore, either, but Ampharos is still the most awesome Pokémon in this evolution line. Why? Well, first of all it is the strongest, obviously. But I like Ampharos because it normally looks so cute (yeah, not on the picture aside, but whatever). I don't really like Mareep and Flaaffy, but Gamefreak actually managed to make a final evolution the cutest, in my opinion. Not to mention it could easily serve as a lighthouse by lighting up its red orbs on its head and tail (which it actually did in Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver). So how does Ampharos put up in video game battles? Just great. It's very slow indeed, but its special attack stat is absolutely fantastic, plus it has got some nice defenses to make up for its mediocre speed. You shouldn't really use its attack stat, but it may pull off a nice physical-based attacking move. You really should stick with special-based moves, because that's what Ampharos exceeds in. It learns Power Gem and Signal Beam naturally for some nice rock- and bug-type coverage, and it can learn practically every electric-type move. Definitely go with Discharge and Thunderbolt (Thunder is kind of inaccurate and Ampharos' special attack is so high that it's definitely capable of taking out an opponent in one hit with Thunderbolt and/or Discharge, anyway). It also has just one weakness: ground. With such an Ampharos you have a great addition to your team! Oh, by the way... Did I mention Ampharos is getting a Mega Evolution? Yep, that's right, Gamefreak has changed its design and has added an extra type to this new form: dragon-type! That is absolutely fantastic; Mega Ampharos will have more power, more moves, more orbs and more... wool? Or is it hair? Decide for yourself, you can see the picture below (click on it to enlarge it, or drag it to another tab).

#25: Arcanine

Despite not being a legendary Pokémon, Arcanine is classified as... a legendary Pokémon. But only in the way in which Pikachu and Marill are classified as mouse Pokémon, for example. A curious thing, but Arcanine is still a beast of a Pokémon! This fierce doggy looks like you can hug and cuddle it, but its stripes also makes it look like a dangerous tiger of some sort. I absolutely love Arcanine for its design; it's definitely one of the best first generation Pokémon to date, in my opinion. In battles it is always a good Pokémon to use, but the only downside is that it evolves from Growlithe by using a Fire Stone on the latter. Arcanine doesn't learn any more moves after evolution (except ExtremeSpeed at level 34), so if you evolve Growlithe too early you're stuck with an Arcanine with mediocre moves. Sadly, Growlithe learns its best moves at the last levels it can learn moves: Flamethrower, Crunch, Heat Wave, Flare Blitz and even the monstrous dragon-type move Outrage!!! Growlithe does have the attacking moves to pull off some less powerful attacks (like Flame Wheel, Fire Fang, Take Down and Flame Burst), but you'll see it will fall behind compared to the other Pokémon in your team, as it lears it last good move, Flare Blitz, in level 45. (Remember, these level things are based on the latest games, Black and White and Black and White 2.) But it's definitely worth waiting a while and I'd recommend evolving Growlithe in level 43, after it has learned Outrage. Arcanine is speedy, its defenses are good and its attacking stats are even better, so if you hesitate catching a Growlithe for your team: don't. I mean, how cool is it having such an awesome doggy in your team? Exactly.

#26: Cinccino

Cinccino is just the perfect example of a cute Pokémon that's actually a hell of a fighter in battles, too! This little chinchilla Pokémon with scarves evolves from Minccino (you have to use a Shiny Stone on the latter to evolve it). I've used a Cinccino once and I can definitely recommend you one, provided that it has the Technician ability. That means that moves with a power of 60 or less will do 50% more damage. That's why Cinccino exceeds in multiple-turn moves like Tail Slap (learned as Minccino), Rock Blast and Bullet Seed. Those moves normally strike 2 to 5 times for 25 power each hit, but with the Technician ability they strike for 37.5 power a pop! That means at least 75 damage, with a maximum of 187.5 damage!!! (Tail Slap even hits for at least 111 damage and maximum 277,5 damage due to it being the same type as Cinccino, normal-type, which is called STAB; Same Type Attack Bonus!) Whew! That's not bad at all! What's more, Tail Slap, Rock Blast and Bullet Seed prove to be its best moves and normally hit for more power than even Slap and Return (that are its absolute best attacking moves; its special attack shouldn't be used at all, as it's too low to let it pull off some special-based moves). You might want to keep these three multiple-turn moves around in your movepool for some diversity, and Return for some more reliable damage when at full happiness. Or you might want to give it some more diversity by giving it Wake-Up Slap (whew, Cinccino seems to be bitch-slapping around!). Either way makes for a great addition to your team! And if you have a Cinccino with the hidden Skill Link ability, those multiple-turn moves will always hit 5 times. That means you'll always deal 125 damage (187.5 in the case of Tail Slap) on your opponent. It tends to be more reliable, too. Yeah, don't let Cinccino's cuteness mislead you, it is kind of a monster in battle; and that's exactly why it's one of my favorite Pokémon!

#27: Shedinja

Ah, Shedinja. This little bug thingy is not your average bug Pokémon. It's not even your average ghost Pokémon. I like Shedinja particularly because it is so unique in so many ways. I don't even know where to begin. Well, let's start with Nincada, shall we? It is Shedinja's pre-evolution and it evolves into only Ninjask or both Ninjask and Shedinja. If you have six Pokémon with you, one of which is Nincada, then Nincada will only evolve into Ninjask. However, if you leave a free space in your party, Nincada will evolve into Ninjask and Ninjask's shed exoskeleton will come to life in that free space (that's why Ninjask and Shedinja are similar in shape). Now you have a Shedinja! In the third generation it wasn't necessary to have an extra Poké Ball with you, but from the fourth generation onward it has become required. Shedinja is also unique in its typing: it's still the only bug/ghost-type Pokémon. The weirdness reaches its maximum in Sedinja's stats and ability, however. It doesn't only have 1 base HP, it also literally has 1 HP. You'd think that that would be completely useless, but its ability Wonder Guard protects Shedinja against 12 of the 17 types! Not too shabby! You should watch out around its weaknesses (fire, ghost, dark, flying and rock), however, because if it gets hits by an attacking move of one of this types, you're done for. And Wonder Guard also doesn't protect Shedinja against weather conditions like Sandstorm or Hail, so you'd better avoid those too. All in all, Shedinja is not much of a battler, anyway. Its only good stat is its attack, but the rest of its stats are just downright terrible!!! No, I like this bug thing just because of its scary characteristics: it's literally the shed shell of a Ninjask, its body is completely immobile so it can't move freely, it has a halo floating above its head despite having no angelic features, it appars to be a wise and intelligent Pokémon, and it is rumored to steal someone's soul when the person in question peers into its hole on its back. Yuk, that's just plain creepy. And I like that.

#28: Ninetales

Ninetales, commonly misspelled as Ninetails because of its... well, nine tails, is a first generation Pokémon. This fire fox evolves from Vulpix by using a Fire Stone on the latter, so let Vulpix learn the moves you want to have first. Being based on kitsune, the Japanese word for fox in Japanese mythology, related most to the tale in which is told how many-tailed foxes can breathe fire, create illusions and have extremely long lifespans. After living a long time, these creatures take on spirit forms, which may be the reason why Vulpix and Ninetales can learn Ghost-type moves such as Confuse Ray, Grudge, Hex and the ghost-exclusive Will-O-Wisp (which is, weirdly, a fire-type move). This move can be learned by several Pokémon that are not ghost-type by using TM61, though, so it is only ghost-exclusive in the fact that by leveling up it is learned only by ghost-type Pokémon. Enough about that, let's move on with the legend of Ninetales: it also curses those who mistreat them or touch one of their nine tails. So, despite looking like a cute fox, it's actually quite a thing to watch out for. Not in the video games, though. Its best stats are its speed and special defense, while having mediocre attacking stats. They're not terribly bad, but they're not very good, either. Your best bet is to have Ninetales learn two special-based fire-type attacking moves and SolarBeam, plus the move Sunny Day. The latter cranks up the power of those fire-type moves and triggers SolarBeam to strike immediately instead of charging up one turn first. And if you have a Ninetales with the hidden Drought ability, you can replace Sunny Day by Confuse Ray or Will-O-Wisp, or even Extrasensory (as a Vulpix), Energy Ball or Hyper Beam if you're the attacking type. To me, Ninetales is just appealing because of its beauty, mythology and design, though.

#29: Lillipup evolution line

Ah, that cute little little Lillipup. Yes, generation five has brought forth many interesting Pokémon and this generation is easily my favorite. This is the first whole evolution line in my list, starting with Lillipup. Yeah, I love this little thing, it's just too adorable! I'm a cat person in real-life to be honest, but the cat Pokémon in this franchise are either a letdown or just not very impressive. It's a curious thing that there are more dog-like Pokémon in my list, like Mightyena, Suicune, the Lillipup evolution line and the upcoming Arcanine. Anyway, the reasons why I like the whole Lillipup line is that they are good Pokémon to get you through the game and because I like their designs. I mean, Gamefreak really did their best to make the Pokémon in the fifth generation look like the animals they're based on, and Lillipup, Herdier and Stoutland look like your average pet dogs. They also did a good job to make them a little country-like and American; that's exactly the reason why I nicknamed my Lillipup Nashville! Anyway, they make for great Pokémon to use on your team, even early on! Lillipup gets a same type attack bonus (commonly referred to as STAB in the Pokémon world) from the move Tackle when you start with it. It even learns Bite early on for some fair dark-type damage and later on even Take Down and Crunch for some heavier damage, not too far away from Tackle and Bite. Handy! When fully evolved at level 32, Stoutland can learn the elemental fangs (Ice Fang, Thunder Fang and Fire Fang) and even Dig and Wild Charge. Definitely teach it Return, which deals 153 damage (due to STAB; full damage a Pokémon that's not normal-type can do with Return is 102) when Stoutland is at full happiness. Not too shabby! Stoutland has a good attack stat to attack with, anyway, and its defenses and speed are very well-rounded. Its only low stat is its special attack, which you won't use anyway. Stoutland is a great Pokémon to use on any team, not to mention it's just a cool Pokémon to have. I'd recommend it!

#30: Cresselia

And we've entered the top 30 of my list of favorite Pokémon, and coming in at number 30 is Cresselia! She's only the third legendary Pokémon in my list, but she won't be the last one, although two of the four remaining legendaries will appear in my top 10. I can already tell you that Darkrai, the other half of the lunar duo consisting of Cresselia and Darkrai, is not one of them. Darkrai is weird and way too evil a Pokémon to like. I don't dislike it, but Cresselia is more beautiful and way easier to obtain in the games. And although I like cool Pokémon, Darkrai just doesn't appeal to me due to its scary characteristics. Darkrai is said to appear at new moons, giving people nightmares (yuk!), whereas Cresselia does exactly the opposite: she is said to appear at full moon, giving people pleasant dreams. I mean, let's face it: who likes nightmares? Exactly, no one does! Besides, Cresselia is just a beautiful Pokémon to look at. No, seriously, she just screams beauty! Her design and appearance are the only reasons why I like Cresselia so much, though. In video game battles she's quite weak, although if you know what you're doing Cresselia can be cleverly used. She has very average attacking stats, but a ton of defense and special defense and quite good speed to back that up. I'm not a strategist, though; my only strategy is to attack at full power, hoping to knock out the Pokémon I'm facing with one or two hits. (Now, don't go thinking I don't make use of type advantages, physical and special moves, defense and special defense stats, items, and other sort of stuff; I'm just too impatient to let my Pokémon pull off some boring status moves every time.) I can't sweep the floor with my enemy by using Cresselia, so I don't use her very often. Actually, I don't use her at all, but I'm happy this Pokémon exists.

#31: Samurott

Of all the fifth generation starters Samurott is by far my most favorite to use in the video games. As for design, I have to say that the grass snake Serperior is my favorite. I used Emboar once, but its second fighting-type is so unoriginal (Blaziken and Infernape preceded Emboar and both have a second fighting-type) that I soon ignored Tepig and made choices between Snivy and Oshawott. But Serperior has yet to come in my list and this article is about Samurott. Although Emboar is the strongest Pokémon of the three starter Pokémon offensive-wise, Samurott's stats are more well-rounded, with a good amount of almost everything and a slight preference for special attack and attack. That's just great. It's not overly fast, though, but it's also not terribly slow. Samurott is actually the friendliest to use for beginning players, and even skilled trainers for that matter. What I like most about Oshawott and its evolutions is that they so strongly resemble ninjas. Oshawott and Dewott use scalchops attached to either their chest or hips, while Samurott is able to stand on its hind legs and use its seamitars sheathed inside the scabbards on its forelegs, as you can see in the image below (click on it to enlarge it, or drag it to another tab). These scalchops and seamitars (a type of shell weapons and/or swords, to the looks of it) are being used for the move Razor Shell, their signature water-type move. If the Oshawott evolution line had gotten the added fighting-type instead of Pignite and Emboar, that would not have been out of place, however. Yeah, Samurott is easily one of my favorite starter Pokémon, with only Serperior being more appealing to me design-wise.

#32: Suicune

Suicune is the nineteenth Pokémon you get to see in my list of favorite Pokémon, as it's at number 32 and I'm counting down from 50 to 1, but it's the second of only seven legendaries that have a spot in my list. And not without a reason. Suicune is actually a third of a trio of legendary Pokémon; Raikou and Entei are the other two. Suicune has more appeal to me, however, and that's because it's actually a beautiful Pokémon to see, as opposed to Entei and Raikou. Others may see it differently, but where I think Raikou and Entei are a little clumsy, I think Suicine is actually a very graceful Pokémon. Given its typing that would be logic, too: Suicine is a calm water-type, very in contrast to the restless electric- and fire-type of Raikou and Entei respectively. Maybe that's exactly why Suicune became the mascot in the followup of Gold and Silver; you had to chase it through the entire main game plus a part of the post-game parts in Kanto, until Cerulean City. With a little bad luck Suicune was the first legendary you could catch: Lugia was only available after getting the Silver Wing in Pewter City, Ho-oh was available only after catching the three legendary dogs (Suicune, Entei and Raikou) and Entei and Raikou were wandering around, making it very difficult to come across them. In battles you're better off with Entei and Raikou offensive-wise. Suicine has a good special attack stat and great defenses, but not a very diverse movepool, while Entei and Raikou hit much faster and harder than Suicune does. But this absolutely doesn't matter to me; Suicune is such a beautiful and graceful Pokémon to me that it easily outclasses Entei and Raikou.

#33: Lucario

Hell yeah, this merciless fighting fox Lucario... It looks cool, it's a very strong Pokémon to use in the video games and it is one of the few non-legendary Pokémon to be featured in a full movie. In fact, Lucario appeared in the eighth movie and was one of the main Pokémon throughout it (see image below). Only Unown managed to be one of the most important Pokémon in a feature film before. The third to be precise, although Entei filled up more screening time than Unown. Besides, Lucario and Unown didn't stay the only non-legendary Pokémon to be featured in a full film: the thirteenth film was dedicated to Zoroark, although I question its non-legendary status because it's very hard to get in the first Black and White games. Enough about that, get ready to get some awesome news: Lucario gets a Mega Evolution that only works during battle while holding a special stone! Yep, that's right! Gamefreak announced the appearance of Mega Pokémon for the upcoming Pokémon X and Y a few days ago and Lucario is one of them, along with Blaziken, Ampharos, Mawile, Absol, Mewtwo (meh) and Kangaskhan. That makes it even stronger than it already was, damn it! I'm excited for this new type of evolution, but until then we'll have to make do with just the normal Lucario.

So how well does it do in in-game battles? Just great, I can tell you that! It evolves from the pure fighting-type Riolu at a high friendship level, but Lucario gains the unbelievably useful steel-type upon evolving. That gives it normal resistances to steel, normal, ghost, grass and ice, double resistances to rock, bug and dark and an immunity to poison. Also, Lucario is definitely a strong Pokémon offensive-wise. It has great attack and special attack (with a slight preference to special attack) and it even has good speed in order to strike first very often. Its defenses are nothing to write home about, but it should be capable of taking quite some hits: its immunity and many resistances make up for its average defenses. As if that wasn't enough already, Lucario has a very diverse movepool. It is capable of learning Dark Pulse, Dragon Pulse, Psychic, Rock Slide, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Shadow Ball, Ice Punch, ThunderPunch, Zen Headbutt and Poison Jab. Lucario's high attack stat let it pull many of those moves of very easily, and those are not even the moves of its own type. It hits even harder with Brick Break, Close Combat, Iron Tail, Drain Punch and definitely Focus Blast, Flash Cannon and its signature move Aura Sphere (keep that move no matter what!), since they're special-based.

In Diamond, Pearl and Platinum you get a level 1 Riolu very late in the games, so unless you spent much extra time in training, it was of no use. In Black 2 and White 2, however, you could catch a Riolu before taking on the first gym. That makes it a lot easier to get yourself a Lucario in your team! My Lucario has rescued me out of sticky situations, so I'd definitely recommend to catch yourself a Riolu and evolve it into Lucario before taking on the second gym. It's poison-type, so you'll laugh your butt off! Anyway, Lucario is undoubtedly one of my favorite Pokémon. Not only because of its use in the last few games, but also because of its design, its awesomeness and its new form in the upcoming X and Y games (see image below; click on it to enlarge it, or drag it to another tab). I believe that will make Lucario even more awesome!

#34: Rapidash

When Pokémon first came out, I was fascinated by how simple yet brilliant some designs were. Ponyta and Rapidash, for example. I mean, just draw a horse with flames as manes and a tail and you have a Pokémon. Evolve it even further by adding a horn on its head and you have Rapidash. I almost expect Gamefreak to create an evolution of Rapidash and add wings to it so it resembles a Pegasus, the flying horse from the legends and myths. Believe me, I'll love that Pokémon even more than I love Rapidash right now! Horses are noble animals and that is also clearly evident in Rapidash's fierce and elegant pose. I generally don't care much for horses, but because of its flames Rapidash is actually a beautiful Pokémon to see. That's why it's easily one of my favorite Pokémon. In the video games it's also a great Pokémon to use: it has great attack and even greater speed to begin with. Its defenses are not that good, but it should be able to take a hit or two, especially when they're special-based. Rapidash has three normal weaknesses and five resistances, so its pure fire-typing makes this flaming horse perfectly balanced, too. Too bad its movepool is meh. It obviously learns several fire-type moves, most of which are special-based, though Rapidash can easily pull these off since its special attack is not bad. However, it would be a shame not to take advantage of its superior attack stat, so teach it Wild Charge by using TM93, Megahorn by giving a Heart Scale to the move relearner and two good fire-type moves. It also learns Poison Jab, but that's an unnecessary move as it's poison-type and only super effective against grass. Rapidash's fire-type covers grass, too, so you better don't bother with Poison Jab at all. Overall Rapidash is a great Pokémon to use in-game. By the way, because Rapidash so strongly resembles a real horse, it is often subject to either mockery or admiration, as you can see in the images below (click on them to enlarge, or drag them to other tabs).

#35: Abomasnow

Okay, Abomasnow is weird. That's a fact. But it's a funny kind of weird, especially because it looks like a cross between an evergreen tree (a type of tree that always has green leaves no matter the season) covered with snow and the Abominable Snowman. In fact, Abomasnow is an abbreviation of that term, which is actually a popular term that is commonly used for the yeti. So, Abomasnow is based on the mythical monster known as the yeti. Given the size of its feet it is probably based on Bigfoot, too, hahaha. Okay, lame joke. Seriously, I like Pokémon that are based on mythical creatures and the resemblance with the Abominable Snowman is more than obvious when you look at it. In the video games Abomasnow doesn't exactly live up to expectations. It has SEVEN FLIPPIN' WEAKNESSES, including a BIG-TIME ONE TO FIRE due to it being grass/ice-type! And because it's quite slow, Abomasnow will hit second very often, which increases the chances of being hit by a super effective attack even more. Thankfully it has some reasonable defenses to back that up, which makes it capable of taking a hit or two (except from fire-type moves). It also has a diverse movepool, with access to great moves like Rock Slide, Brick Break, Shadow Ball, Ice Punch, Wood Hammer and Earthquake, although I doubt it will make up for its seven weaknesses. If you're careful, you can definitely make use of Abomasnow, but avoid it if that's too risky for you. Too bad Abomasnow has such an... abominable typing (sorry guys, I had to!), but otherwise it's a funny Pokémon and easily one of my favorites.